The National Library is another icon of the city's modernization. Its foundation was the Ajuda Library in Lisbon, created during the reign of D. José I, after the fire and destruction of the Real Livraria caused by the earthquake that struck the Portuguese city in 1755. The collection of the Ajuda Library came along with the royal family's arrival in Brazil in 1808: initially, around 60 thousand pieces (including books, manuscripts, maps, and other items) arrived, and, in June and November of 1811, two more batches of books arrived to add to the collection.
Image description: This is an old photograph of an urban street. On the left side, we see a building with large windows and an iron balcony. In front of it, there is a person standing, looking down. In the central part of the image, there is another building with a light-colored façade and a large window in the center. On the right, we see a wide street with several people walking. In the background, there are other buildings and a decorative column. The image is in black and white.View of the building where the National Library operated on Rua do Carmo, undated. Author unknown. Rio de Janeiro, RJ - Brasiliana Fotográfica/Biblioteca Nacional.
In the beginning, the library occupied the Hospital da Ordem Terceira do Carmo, close to the Paço Imperial. The limitations of the site accelerated the changes, since they put books and documents at risk. The royal decree of October 29, 1810 determined that the collection be transferred to the old catacombs of the Carmo religious order, and this date is considered the founding date of the National Library. The collection remained in the city even after the return of D. João VI to Portugal and, after Independence, became the property of the State of Brazil, through the Treaty of Friendship and Alliance between Brazil and Portugal, of 1825. In 1858, the library was transferred to rua do Passeio, number 60, in Largo da Lapa, in the building where the Music School of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro is located today.
Image description: This is an old black-and-white photograph. The image shows a building with classical architecture, possibly from the 19th or early 20th century. On the left side, there are two large doors with decorative arches. In front of them stand people in formal attire, including a long dress and a suit. In the center, an old car is parked at the curb. On the right, two men carry heavy objects on their heads. In the background, more people are walking and a man stands near the door. The ground shows traces of tram or train tracks.Old Building of the National Library on Rua do Passeio. Author unknown. 1916 [?]. Rio de Janeiro, RJ - Brasiliana Fotográfica/Biblioteca Nacional.
The modernization of the city included the cultural element in the civilizational scenario, and the National Library would be the icon representing Brazilian culture and erudition. With the opening of Avenida Central, it was moved to the location it currently occupies. The foundation stone was laid on August 15, 1905, and the inauguration took place one hundred years after the library's founding, in 1910. The project was designed by engineer Francisco Marcelino de Souza Aguiar, in an eclectic style, combining neoclassical elements,
art nouveau
and Empire, the latter indicated by the façades and access stairways. The interior was decorated jointly by Eliseu Visconti, the Bernardelli brothers, Modesto Brocos, and Rodolfo Amoedo.
Image description: This is a black and white engraving of a monumental building. From the left side toward the center, we see a series of columns forming a main portico. In the center, there is a frontispiece with classical architecture, including a decorated triangular pediment. On the right, the building continues with more columns and regularly spaced windows. The background features a large staircase leading up to the upper level of the building. At the bottom of the image, it reads "BIBLIOTHECA NACIONAL - PREDIO N° 213 A 231".National Library: building at Nos. 213 to 231. Marc Ferrez, 1910[?]. Rio de Janeiro, RJ - Brasiliana Fotográfica/Biblioteca Nacional
